Public convenience unit

ABSTRACT

A public sanitary cell includes a sanitary compartment accessible through an outer door in which a toilet bowl having a drain is disposed. In order to provide sufficient freedom of motion in front of and next to the toilet bowl, in particular for wheelchair users, while maintaining a compact construction, the toilet bowl can be pivoted by a drive device about a substantially vertical axis, wherein an actuating device is disposed outside of the sanitary cell to operate and control the drive device. The drive device is preferentially operable and controllable by the actuating device only when the outer door is closed and/or when the sanitary compartment is empty.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a public sanitary cell consisting essentially ofa sanitary compartment accessible by means of an outer door in which atoilet having a waste drain is disposed.

Public toilets are usually provided in large cities in frequentlyvisited locations and are either accommodated in a building providedtherefor or are in the form of erected prefabricated sanitary cells. Thesanitary cells are accessible through an outer door opened by insertionof a coin and have completely automatic cleaning devices. When a userleaves the sanitary cell, the outer door is closed and the cleaningprocess begins. After cleaning is completed, the outer door isautomatically unlocked so that the sanitary cell is accessible once morefollowing insertion of a coin. Sanitary cells of this kind have directlocal connection to the sewage system at their drain side so that theycan usually be operated as autonomous sanitary units and withoutmaintenance.

Public sanitary devices and toilet installations should, in cities,occupy as little space as possible so that, in particular, sanitarycells are extremely compact in construction. On the other hand each usershould have sufficient freedom of motion within the sanitary cell.Therefore, e.g. for wheelchair users, a sufficient amount of free motionsurface must be provided in front of and next to the toilet or bowl.This clearly legitimate requirement is, however, in conflict with thedesire for a very compact configuration of the sanitary cell.Furthermore, the components and devices of public sanitary cells mustfunction in a reliable manner and, in particular, must not present anydanger to the user. A technical solution must therefore be found havinghigh safety requirements.

It is the underlying purpose of the invention to create a sanitary cellof the above mentioned kind which has a sufficient amount of space, inparticular for wheelchair users, despite its compact construction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This purpose is achieved in accordance with the invention in that thetoilet bowl is pivotable, by means of a driving unit, about asubstantially vertical axis and an actuating device is disposed on theouter side of the sanitary cell to operate and control the drivemechanism.

The pivotable toilet bowl permits a wheel chair user to individuallychange the position of the toilet bowl so that he can more easily movefrom the wheelchair onto the toilet bowl without requiring additionalspace. It has turned out that the required amount of space can besubstantially reduced compared to a stationary toilet bowl to facilitatean extremely compact construction while maintaining equal freedom ofmotion.

The pivotability of the toilet bowl requires additional means for thesafety of the user. Towards this end and in accordance with theinvention, the toilet bowl is not adjusted manually rather by means of adrive device, e.g. a drive motor. The actuating device with which thedrive device is activated to bring the toilet bowl into the desiredpivot position is, in the sanitary cell in accordance with theinvention, disposed on the outer side preferentially next to the outerdoor to reliably prevent a user of the sanitary cell fromunintentionally pivoting the toilet bowl when seated thereon or whenotherwise using the sanitary cell, in particular since the outer door islocked during use.

In order to configure the actuating device for pivoting of the toiletbowl in a manner which is as user friendly as possible, a preferredembodiment of the invention provides for a keyboard with which one ofvarious predetermined positions for the toilet bowl can be selected.

An improper adjustment of the toilet bowl by a user locked within thesanitary compartment can be reliably prevented if the drive device forthe toilet bowl can only be operated and controlled by the actuatingdevice when the outer door is closed.

Moreover, in order to prevent other individuals located outside frompivoting the toilet bowl during use of the sanitary cell, the inventionmay provide that the drive device can only be operated and controlled bythe actuating device when the sanitary compartment is empty and not inuse. Towards this end, appropriate sensors are disposed in the sanitarycompartment which determine the presence of a person and whichappropriately block the activating device in this event.

In order to provide the user with an overview of the adjustmentpossibilities for the toilet bowl and to indicate the current pivotposition, a display device for the pivot position of the toilet bowl canbe disposed outside of the sanitary cell, preferentially next to theactuating device.

It has turned out to be advantageous if the toilet bowl can be pivotedout of its base position in both pivot directions up to approximately90° and preferentially up to approximately 75° so that the space locatedin front of the toilet bowl in the base position is also presentsidewardly next to the toilet bowl in the maximum pivot position.

A preferred embodiment provides that the toilet bowl can be locked indiffering pivoted positions. This is necessary for a safe and reliableuse of the sanitary cell. The locking can either be effected withoutdiscrete positions, e.g. using a locking device, or can be stepped. Inthe latter embodiment, a latching device can be preferentially providedfor. If a self-locking geared motor is utilized as a drive device, samecan simultaneously serve for fixing the toilet bowl.

In improvements of the invention, the toilet bowl is disposed on arotatable floor plate which is rigidly connected to the toilet bowl sothat a large degree of stability is provided therefor. The floor plateis thereby integrated into the floor of the sanitary compartment whileavoiding steps and shoulders.

A waste drain section having an S- or winding shape is normallyconnected to the toilet bowl to flush out-waste and feeds into a drainwaste pipe leading to the sewage system. The waste section can either befixed in space so that the toilet bowl turns relative thereto or,preferentially, the waste section can pivot along with the toilet bowl.This can, in particular, be achieved when the waste section is insertedinto the waste pipe in a pivotable fashion at its lower end, wherein themiddle axis of the waste pipe coincides with the vertical pivot axis ofthe toilet bowl.

In order to simplify use of the sanitary cell by handicappedindividuals, the toilet bowl can, in a further improvement of theinvention, have a back rest. In order to avoid excessive misalignmentbetween the back rest and the sanitary compartment wall located abovesame, the back rest can be accommodated, at least in the middle baseposition of the toilet bowl, within a niche in the sanitary compartmentwall, wherein the resting surface of the back rest is preferentiallyaligned with the portion of the sanitary compartment wall disposed abovesame to achieve a substantially smoother transition between these twosurfaces.

In order to use a public sanitary cell, in particular in the case ofphysically handicapped people, additional gripping and holding devices,in particular hand rails, are required with which the user can hold andsupport himself during seating onto the toilet bowl and when standingup. Since, in accordance with the invention, the toilet bowl can assumediffering positions relative to its surroundings and in particular,relative to the adjacent walls of the sanitary compartment, inaccordance with the invention, a plurality of gripping or holdingdevices are preferentially provided for which can each be selectivelybrought into a use or non-use position. Such a gripping and holdingdevice is preferentially a pivotably mounted rail.

Depending on the selected pivot position of the toilet bowl a user canpivot an associated hand rail out of the non-use position in which it isdisposed in as space-saving a manner as possible at or in thecompartment wall and into the use position so that he can reliablysupport himself thereon. The gripping and holding device should therebybe capable of being fixed in both the use and non-use positions andpreferentially lockable or latchable therein.

In practice it has turned out to be advantageous when the gripping andholding device are configured as frame-like holding brackets which areintroduced in a pivotable manner onto the wall of the sanitarycompartment via two horizontal bearings disposed at the same height. Thehorizontal bearings can be relatively far apart to thereby acceptbending moments in an advantageous fashion.

For ergonomic reasons, the toilet bowl should be disposed in a niche ofthe sanitary compartment having a trapezoidal shape in plan view, suchthat a gripping or holding device is introduced at each of the oppositeslanted side surfaces of the niche. In this fashion, the length withwhich the holding bracket protrudes, in the use position, beyond thesanitary compartment wall can be kept small while effecting an overallhigh degree of stability for the hold bracketing.

In addition to the above mentioned cleaning of the toilet bowl,following use of the sanitary cell the floor thereof must also becleaned. This is generally done by introducing water and/or steam underhigh pressure. In order to assure proper drainage of the water or steam,in accordance with the invention, the floor of the sanitary compartmentand/or of the flooring plates inserted therein is slightly tilted,wherein drain grooves can be provided for in the floor of the sanitarycompartment or in the inserted floor plates for channeled draining ofthe water. A particularly simple and effective cleaning of the floor canbe achieved in the event that same comprises a plurality of floorsections or plates of which at least some can be pivoted into a verticalposition.

Further details and features of the invention can be extracted from thefollowing description of an embodiment with reference to the drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows an outside view of a sanitary cell having a detail of theactuating device and the display device.

FIG. 2 shows a vertical cut of a sanitary cell in accordance with FIG.1,

FIG. 3 shows a horizontal cut of the sanitary cell in accordance withFIG. 1,

FIG. 3a shows the sanitary cell of FIG. 3 in a first position for thetoilet bowl,

FIG. 3b shows the sanitary cell of FIG. 3 in a second position for thetoilet bowl,

FIG. 4 shows the floor of the sanitary cell in a folded-up position and

FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the sanitary cell floor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A sanitary cell 1 shown in the figures comprises an outer housing 2containing an inner sanitary compartment 7, which can be closed by anouter sliding door 3. A conventional paper dispenser 16, sink 13,garbage pail 12, and toilet bowl 20 are disposed within the sanitarycompartment 7. Hand rails 15 on the side walls 14 of the sanitarycompartment 7 provide support, particularly for fragile or handicappedpeople. As shown in FIG. 3, the toilet bowl 20 is disposed in a niche 8of the sanitary compartment 7 having a trapezoidal plan view, wherein aholding bracket 18 is provided proximate the toilet bowl 20 at each ofthe opposite slanting side walls 8a, 8b of the niche 8, each of which isborne by two horizontal pivot bearings 19a, 19b disposed at the sameheight on the inner side wall 14 of the sanitary compartment 7. Theholding brackets 18 can be pivoted out of the non-use position (shown inFIG. 2), at which they are fixed and preferentially latched in avertical direction adjacent to the side wall 14, into a use position inwhich they horizontally protrude into the sanitary compartment 7 (FIG.3).

The toilet bowl 20 is firmly mounted to a floor plate 22 in the floor 11of the sanitary compartment 7 which can pivot about a vertical axis V.The pivot motion is initiated by a motor 23 whose drive motion istransferred to the floor plate 22 by a transmission or a toothed belt24.

The toilet bowl 20 has a vertically projecting back rest 29 at its rearside which is disposed in a niche 14a of the side wall 14 of thesanitary compartment 7 so that a resting surface 29 is aligned with asection 14b of the side wall 14 of the sanitary compartment 7 locatedabove same to avoid large steps.

A waste section 25 is introduced on the toilet bowl 20 curving aroundthe pivot drive and leading via an intermediate catch tub 27 into avertical waste pipe 26 connected to the sewage system. The waste section25 is firmly connected to the toilet bowl 20 and can be pivoted relativeto the waste pipe 26 together therewith, wherein the middle axis M ofthe waste pipe 26 coincides with the vertical pivot axis V of the baseplate 22.

As shown in FIG. 1, an operation unit 4 is disposed on the outer side ofthe sanitary cell 1 proximate the outer sliding door 3 having anactuating device 5 for activating and controlling the drive motor 23 aswell as a display device 6. The actuating device 5 comprises threebuttons 5a, 5b, and 5c, wherein the middle button 5b brings the toiletbowl 20 into the middle base position shown in FIG. 3 and the buttons 5aand 5c bring the toilet bowl into the right and left pivot positionsrespectively, these positions being shown in FIGS. 3a and 3brespectively. The user can read-off the current pivot position of thetoilet bowl 20 from the display device 6.

The sanitary cell 1 is configured in such a fashion that a pivoting ofthe toilet bowl 20 through operation of one of the buttons 5a, 5b or 5ccan only take place if the sliding door 3 is closed and if, in addition,the sanitary compartment 7 is empty. Towards this end, sensors (notshown) are provided for which issue appropriate state signals to acontrol device, wherein the control device then blocks the actuatingdevice 5 if the previously mentioned conditions are not fulfilled. Asshown in FIG. 3, e.g. a wheelchair user has a sufficient amount of roomin the sanitary compartment 7 in front of the toilet bowl 20 afteropening the sliding door 3 to facilitate his mobility. Prior to enteringinto the sanitary compartment, the user has pivoted the toilet bowl 20through activation of the motor 23 into one of the pivot directionsindicated by the double arrow S until the desired pivot position (FIG.3a or 3b) has been obtained. In the embodiment shown, the pivot anglebetween the middle base position and the maximum pivot positions assumesa value of approximately 75°. When the toilet bowl 20 with the baseplate 22 has reached the desired pivot position, it is held at thislocation by a self-locking motor 23. The user can then swing down one ofthe holding brackets 18 out of the non-use position (FIG. 3, lowerillustration) into the use position (FIG. 3, upper illustration),wherein a locking mechanism is also provided for when the use positionhas been reached. FIGS. 3a and 3b show that there is a sufficient amountof space for a wheelchair user in the pivoted position proximate thetoilet bowl 20 to move the wheelchair next to the toilet bowl 20 and tomove onto the toilet bowl.

After the user has left the sanitary compartment 7, the sliding door 3automatically closes and a conventional cleaning process follows withwhich, in addition to the toilet bowl 20, the floor 11 of the sanitarycompartment 7 is cleaned with water or steam.

As shown in FIG. 4, the floor 11 of the sanitary compartment 7 and thefloor plates 22 provided therein are slightly tilted in the direction ofa horizontal axis P so that a defined draining of the cleaning liquid isachieved. This is supported by drain grooves 28 substantially coveringthe surface of the upper side of the floor 11 and extendingsubstantially perpendicular to the axis P, i.e. in the tilt direction.The circular floor plate 22 also has corresponding drain grooves 28extending in the radial direction.

In accordance with FIG. 5, the floor 11 of the sanitary compartment 7comprises a plurality of floor sections 30, 31, 32 and 33 each formedfrom corresponding floor plates, wherein the floor plates 31 and 32adjacent to the axis P can be pivoted about the axis P into a raisedposition shown in FIG. 4 for cleaning so that the cleaning fluid or thewater drains very rapidly from the floor plates 31 and 32 to shorten thetime necessary for the cleaning process.

We claim:
 1. A public sanitary cell having an outer door, the cellcomprising:a sanitary compartment having a floor and walls; a toiletbowl having a drain and disposed within said compartment; a drive andlocking apparatus cooperating with said toilet bowl to pivot said toiletbowl about a substantially vertical axis from a base position in a firstdirection and in a second direction opposite said first direction and tofix said toilet bowl in differing pivot positions; and an actuatingdevice disposed outside the sanitary cell and communicating with saiddrive and locking apparatus to actuate and control said drive andlocking apparatus for selecting one of various positions for said toiletbowl, whereby said actuating device adjusts and adapts componentsdisposed within said sanitary compartment to needs of handicappedindividuals by creating a toilet facility accessible to a wheel chairfrom both sides.
 2. The sanitary cell of claim 1, wherein said actuatingdevice consists essentially of a keyboard.
 3. The sanitary cell of claim1, wherein said drive and locking apparatus can be operated andcontrolled by said actuating device only when the outer door is closed.4. The sanitary cell of claim 1, wherein said drive and lockingapparatus can be operated and controlled by said actuating device onlywhen said sanitary compartment is empty.
 5. The sanitary cell of claim1, further comprising a display device of pivot positions of said toiletbowl, said display device disposed outside the sanitary cell.
 6. Thesanitary cell of claim 1, wherein said drive and locking devicecomprises a self-locking motor.
 7. The sanitary cell of claim 1, furthercomprising a rotatable base plate upon which said toilet bowl isdisposed.
 8. The sanitary cell of claim 1, wherein said toilet bowl canbe pivoted out of said base position into both of said first and saidsecond directions through a maximum pivot angle of up to approximately90°.
 9. The sanitary cell of claim 8, wherein said maximum pivot angleis approximately 75°.
 10. The sanitary cell of 1, wherein said draincomprises a waste section which feeds into a substantially verticalwaste pipe, wherein said waste section can be pivoted along with saidtoilet bowl.
 11. The sanitary cell of claim 10, wherein said wastesection can pivot within said waste pipe and a middle axis of said wastepipe coincides with said substantially vertical axis.
 12. The sanitarycell of claim 1, wherein said toilet bowl comprises a back rest.
 13. Thesanitary cell of claim 12, wherein said back rest is disposed in a nicheof a sanitary compartment wall in said base position of said toiletbowl.
 14. The sanitary cell claim 12, wherein a resting surface of saidback rest is aligned with a section of a sanitary compartment walldisposed above said back rest.
 15. The sanitary cell of claim 1, furthercomprising a first gripping and holding device having a use and anon-use position, said gripping and holding device disposed proximatesaid toilet bowl.
 16. The sanitary of claim 15, wherein said firstgripping and holding device can be fixed in said use and said non-usepositions.
 17. The sanitary cell of claim 15, wherein said firstgripping and holding device comprises a frame-like holding bracket bornefor pivoting.
 18. The sanitary cell claim 17, wherein said holdingbracket is borne for pivoting by two horizontal bearings disposed at asame height on a wall of said sanitary compartment.
 19. The sanitarycell of claim 15, wherein said sanitary compartment comprises a nichehaving a trapezoidal plan view with said toilet bowl disposed in saidniche and further comprising a second gripping and holding device havinga use and non-use position, said first gripping and holding devicedisposed on a first slanting side wall of said niche, and said secondgripping and holding device disposed on a second slanting side wall ofsaid niche opposite said first slanting side wall.
 20. The sanitary cellof claim 1, wherein said floor comprises a tilted floor section.
 21. Thesanitary cell of claim 1, wherein said floor has drain grooves.
 22. Thesanitary cell of claim 1, wherein said floor consists essentially of aplurality of floor sections of which at least one can be pivoted into araised position.